1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door latches, and in particular to door latches wherein the latch element can be adjusted in positioning (depth) relative its pan or face plate.
2. The Prior Art
Door latches having latch elements which can be adjusted in position, i.e., adjusted in distance (depth) between it and the latch pan so as to properly cooperate with a strike plate on a door frame, are known. However, in known door latches the mechanics for achieving the adjustment are quite cumbersome and generally involve adjusting two nuts on opposite sides of the latch element, which is positioned on a handle shaft (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,706,478 and 6,530,250). Both nuts must be rotated to readjust the positioning of the latch element along the handle shaft, which is very awkward insofar as only a small space may be available between the nut located closest to the pan and the pan itself. Once the latch is installed in a door, this nut can be almost impossible to reach.
A need exists for a door latch wherein its latch element can be easily and readily adjusted in position (depth) relative to the pan both during and after installation.